In this news alert:

FRANCE – Fingerprint Requirement Now in Place for All Residence Permit Applications

Applications for all types of residence permits (titres de séjour) in France are now subject to a fingerprinting requirement.

The requirement was introduced for some categories of residence permit applications in June 2013, following European Union (EU) regulation 380/2008, and has now been extended to all categories and rolled out in most départements (counties) of France.

Who Needs to Give Fingerprints?

All categories of foreign workers who are required to obtain residence permits in France are now required to submit fingerprints. These categories include:

First Time and Renewal Applications

Van der Elst (non-EEA nationals transferring within the EEA, intending to stay in France for three months or longer)

Renewal Applications Only

The following categories of applicants arrive in France with long stay "VLS-TS" visas and therefore do not need to apply for residence permits until the VLS-TS visa has expired, at the end of the first year.

Salarié (local hire) applicants

All temporary detachés (secondment, on home contract)

Background

Fingerprints must be submitted for new or renewal residence permit applications, in accordance with European Union (EU) regulation 380/2008. All European Union member states were required to implement biometric residence permits by 1 May 2011; however, many have experienced delays. The biometric residence permits are supposed to be more secure than previous documents, and must be issued in a uniform format across the EU.

Action Items

Ensure that initial and renewal residence permit applications are initiated as early as possible to allow time for the fingerprinting step, and for any delays related to the extension of this requirement to all categories of residence permit.

Warn applicants and their dependents that they may be required to visit the Préfecture multiple times, depending on the location, to complete the residence permit application process including the fingerprinting step.

This alert was drafted using information provided by ITAMA Mobility in France.